WASHINGTON (AP) — AT&T, the nation’s second-largest cellular provider, says it’s no longer attaching Internet tracking codes to data transmitted from its users’ smartphones.

The hidden string of letters and numbers can be used to track subscribers across the Internet and are passed along to websites that a consumer visits. They provide a lucrative data-mining opportunity for advertisers.

AT&T says the tracker was part of a testing project that’s been phased off of its network.

Verizon Wireless says it still uses this type of tracking, known as “super cookies.” However, the country’s largest mobile firm says it’s “evaluating” its continued use of the tracking codes.

While the codes don’t explicitly contain personal information, they’re unique and are sent to websites alongside personal details that a user may submit voluntarily — like a name or a phone number.

Jacob Hoffman-Andrews with the Electronic Frontier Foundation likens the code to “a license plate for your brain.”

CHEROKEE, Kan. (AP) — Some southeast Kansas residents are concerned with plans by the state for three reclamation projects on formerly mined land.

But officials with Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism say the projects will improve safety, recreation and habitat.

Three reclamation projects are scheduled to begin in the spring are at Mined Land Wildlife Area in Cherokee and Crawford counties.

Residents who attended a meeting about the projects Wednesday criticized state officials for not seeking public input for the land, which is 14,500 acres open to the public that was once mined for coal.

The Joplin Globe reports KDHE mining section chief Murray Balk said the $1.6 million in planned improvements were ranked based on the hazards they presented.

SOLOMON – Three people were hospitalized after a pair of accidents on Interstate 70 on Saturday morning.

Just after 9 a.m., the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo, driven by Walter L. Wright, 57, Junction City, was westbound on Interstate 70 just east of Grandview Plaza.

The driver lost control on a bridge over Kansas 57, struck the inside wall, entered the median, crossed the highway, and entered the right ditch.

Wright was transported to Geary Community Hospital.

Two children were injured in an accident just after 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 in Dickinson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Ford F250 driven by Kerry William Retter, 57, Salina, was eastbound on Interstate 70 three miles east of Solomon.

The driver lost control due to slick conditions. The truck entered the south ditch and rolled.

Two children in the vehicle were transported to Salina Regional Health Center.

Retter and passengers Cindy A. Retter, 57, and Alicia Nicole Retter, 31, both of Salina were not injured.

The KHP reported all were properly restrained at the time of the accidents

PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — Police departments across the country are bracing for large demonstrations when a grand jury decides whether to indict a white police officer who killed an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, in August.

Boston police leaders met this week to discuss possible preparations. Los Angeles police have been in touch with their counterparts in Missouri, who released their security plans for the indictment decision this week. And Las Vegas police joined community leaders in calling for restraint at a rally planned northwest of the casino strip.

For some cities, a decision in the racially charged case will inevitably reignite long-simmering debates over local police relations with minority communities. But big-city police departments stress they’re well-equipped to handle unruly crowds.

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (KS-02) was re-elected to Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference  by her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives. After re-election to House Leadership, Congresswoman Jenkins issued the following statement:

“I am honored to continue to serve as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference. The next two years are pivotal if we hope to turn this country around. With our experienced House leadership team finally able to work in partnership with a new Senate majority, I am confident Congress will be able to pass critical legislation and place those policies on the President’s desk. Our solutions will seek to empower all Americans and help everyone get ahead and achieve a better life. Instead of operating alone, via executive fiat and vetoes, we are hopeful President Obama will partner with us in our efforts to move our nation forward.

“From the very first time I ran for office I have believed you learn more by listening than talking. My first priority remains listening to Kansans each and every day to ensure their voices are heard at the leadership table in Congress.”

Vice Chair Jenkins joins Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise, Conference Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, NRCC Chair Greg Walden, Republican Policy Committee Chair Luke Messer, and Conference Secretary Virginia Foxx as members of the House Republican leadership team. Vice Chair is the fifth-highest ranking position in House Republican Leadership.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As the nation heads into the second year of the health care law, the federal government and states are preparing for open enrollment. Starting Saturday, consumers will be able to enroll for 2015 coverage through health insurance marketplaces, also known as exchanges. The marketplaces in each state will allow you to shop for plans and apply for tax credits that can greatly reduce your premiums. You can also find out if you qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid.

Here are some changes for 2015:

Q: What is happening with health plan costs and how much will I pay?

A: Plans and premiums for 2015 are now online at HealthCare.gov or your state’s exchange. You can apply between Nov. 15, 2014, and Feb. 15, 2015. Plans cover essential health benefits, pre-existing conditions, and preventive care. If you were already covered this year, you can change plans during open enrollment.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers’s Health Research Institute, the average premium will be around $344 before tax credit subsidies. That’s an increase from 2014 of about 3.5 percent. Premiums vary from state to state with some down as much as 22 percent and others up 35 percent.

The good news is that most people who apply through exchanges will qualify for tax credits that reduce their premiums. For 2015, individuals earning between $11,670 and $46,680 qualify for a premium tax credit. For a family of four, the range is $23,850 to $95,400.

Q: What should I have ready when applying?

A: If you had coverage in 2014, it’s helpful to take stock of what’s changed and include any changes you expect in 2015 including: Income changes, births, deaths, marriage or divorce, anyone in the family who got coverage through a job, anybody getting health coverage through a public program like Medicare or Medicaid.

Q: What other out-of-pocket costs should I consider?

A: The maximum out-of-pocket cost for any marketplace plan for 2015 can be no more than $6,600 for an individual plan and $13,200 for a family plan. This is the most you pay a year before your health insurance or plan starts to pay 100 percent for covered essential health benefits.

This limit includes deductibles, coinsurance, copayments or any other qualified medical expense. It does not have to count premiums, out-of-network costs or non-essential health benefits.

Q: Will I get to keep my doctor?

A: Check with your insurance company to make sure your doctor will still be in the plan’s network in 2015. Exchange websites will route you to the health insurance company’s online list of doctors. You also can contact your doctors directly to see which health plans they will accept in 2015.

Q: What if I don’t buy health insurance?

A: The penalty is going up for people who go without health insurance. It’s at least $325 per adult, or 2 percent of income, whichever is greater, up to a cap.

Q: If I signed up for insurance through the exchange last time, do I have to go through that again?

A: No, but that might not be wise. If you do nothing, you will be automatically renewed in your current plan on Jan. 1. But you’ll be getting last year’s tax credit, which could well be lower than the amount you’re entitled to for 2015. And there are lots of new plans available, so you may also miss out on a lower-cost option. Officials are advising existing customers to go back to HealthCare.gov or their state exchange, update their financial and household information, and at least check other plans. If you want to make any changes, you’ll have to do that by Dec. 15 to avoid a break in coverage on Jan. 1.

If you live in a state that is running its own exchange, the rules for automatic renewal may be different.

Q: How will my premium tax credits impact my taxes?

A: The vast majority of current customers are getting tax credits to help with premiums. Those subsidies are tied to income, so you’ll have to account for them when you file your 2014 taxes. HealthCare.gov or your state’s exchange will send you a form in January that reports how much you got. You’ll use that information on a new tax form to be filed with your 2014 tax return, to prove you got the right amount of tax credits. Too much subsidy and your tax refund will get dinged. Too little, and the government owes you. It’s bound to cause anxiety because many people depend on their tax refunds to pay bills.

Q: What happens to me if I got an extension under President Barack Obama’s decision to allow people to keep plans slated for cancellation last year?

Some plans that existed before the health care law passed do not include new benefits and protections. They are not offered by exchanges. Some of them are being changed by insurers to incorporate new benefit requirements, some are being canceled and some states are allowing people to renew their plans through 2016.